Nashwan
Encyclopedia
Nashwan was a thoroughbred
racehorse bred and owned by Sheikh Hamdan Al Maktoum
.
The chestnut
colt
was sired by the 1977 Poule d'Essai des Poulains
winner Blushing Groom
out of Height of Fashion, a daughter of Bustino
previously owned by Queen Elizabeth II
. He was a thus half-brother to the Group Race
winners Alwasmi, Unfuwain
and Nayef
. He was bred at Shadwell Farm, Lexington, Kentucky
and foaled on March 1, 1986.
Nashwan was trained throughout his racing career by Major Dick Hern
at West Ilsley
in Berkshire
, England
, and was ridden in all of his races by the jockey Willie Carson
.
at Newbury
in August 1988, winning as 6/4 favourite in a field of 27 runners. His only subsequent race as a two-year-old was the Autumn Stakes
at Ascot
in October, then classed as a Listed
race. Nashwan won by four lengths, beating a field which included the debutant Cacoethes.
, he started the race as 3/1 favourite. He won by a length, with Exbourne in second and Danehill
a further half length behind in third. Nashwan's next outing was to be the Epsom Derby
. The distance of 1½ miles was well beyond anything the colt had previously encountered, but his pedigree suggested the distance would be ideal. With a favourite's starting price of 5/4, confidence was clearly high and Nashwan duly won the race by five lengths, with the 500/1 outsider Terimon
in second, and Cacoethes third. He was the first horse to complete the Guineas-Derby double since Nijinsky II
in 1970, though he was emulated by Sea the Stars
in 2009.
Having conquered his own generation, Nashwan's next task was to prove himself against older opposition, starting with the Eclipse Stakes
over 1¼ miles at Sandown Park. This time an odds-on favourite, he again won by five lengths, with the likes of Indian Skimmer
and Warning behind. The next logical race for Nashwan was the all-aged middle distance showpiece of the summer, the King George VI and Queen Elizabeth Stakes at Ascot. With the late withdrawal of the impressive Prix du Jockey Club
winner Old Vic, Nashwan was expected to win the race easily, and started as 2/9 favourite. But this time Nashwan had to fight for his victory, with old rival Cacoethes challenging him throughout the final two furlongs. Nashwan won by a neck, and was now unbeaten in six races.
After a summer break, Nashwan's next target was to be the Prix de l'Arc de Triomphe
at Longchamp
, and to prepare for this he was sent to the Prix Niel
. It was to be Nashwan's first defeat, finishing third behind Golden Pheasant
on soft ground, and the decision was made to retire Nashwan and not to contest the "Arc".
(b. 1992), dual winner of the King George VI & Queen Elizabeth Diamond Stakes, and Bago
(b. 2001), winner of the Prix de l'Arc de Triomphe.
Nashwan died while at Shadwell Stud on July 19, 2002.
computer game
developer Bitmap Brothers
included references to Nashwan in many of their games. For example, Super Nashwan Power in Xenon 2 Megablast
, Super Nashwan in Speedball 2, and "Nashwan" is used as a password in Gods
.
Thoroughbred
The Thoroughbred is a horse breed best known for its use in horse racing. Although the word thoroughbred is sometimes used to refer to any breed of purebred horse, it technically refers only to the Thoroughbred breed...
racehorse bred and owned by Sheikh Hamdan Al Maktoum
Hamdan bin Rashid Al Maktoum
Hamdan bin Rashid Al Maktoum is the Deputy Ruler of Dubai and the Minister of Finance and Industry of the United Arab Emirates . He is the second son of the late ruler, Rashid bin Saeed Al Maktoum ....
.
The chestnut
Chestnut (coat)
Chestnut is a hair coat color of horses consisting of a reddish-to-brown coat with a mane and tail the same or lighter in color than the coat. Genetically and visually, chestnut is characterized by the absolute absence of true black hairs...
colt
Colt (horse)
A colt is a young male horse, under the age of four. The term "colt" is often confused with foal, which refers to a horse of either sex under one year of age....
was sired by the 1977 Poule d'Essai des Poulains
Poule d'Essai des Poulains
The Poule d'Essai des Poulains, sometimes referred to as the French 2,000 Guineas, is a Group 1 flat horse race in France open to three-year-old thoroughbred colts...
winner Blushing Groom
Blushing Groom
Blushing Groom was a French Champion Thoroughbred racehorse. He was bred by American businessman John McNamee Sullivan and was raced by HH Aga Khan IV. A descendant of Nearco, Blushing Groom was sired by Red God and out of the mare Runaway Bride....
out of Height of Fashion, a daughter of Bustino
Bustino
Bustino was a British Thoroughbred Champion racehorse and an important sire. Bred by E. Cooper Bland, he was sired by 1967 British Horse of the Year, Busted, and out of the mare Ship Yard....
previously owned by Queen Elizabeth II
Elizabeth II of the United Kingdom
Elizabeth II is the constitutional monarch of 16 sovereign states known as the Commonwealth realms: the United Kingdom, Canada, Australia, New Zealand, Jamaica, Barbados, the Bahamas, Grenada, Papua New Guinea, the Solomon Islands, Tuvalu, Saint Lucia, Saint Vincent and the Grenadines, Belize,...
. He was a thus half-brother to the Group Race
Conditions races
Conditions races are horse races where the weights carried by the runners are laid down by the conditions attached to the race. Weights are allocated according to; the sex of the runners, with female runners carrying less weight than males; the age of the runners, with younger horses receiving...
winners Alwasmi, Unfuwain
Unfuwain
Unfuwain was an American-bred, British-trained Thoroughbred racehorse bred and owned by Hamdan Al Maktoum. In a brief career of ten starts, lasting from 9187 to 1989, he won four Group races and was placed in the King George VI and Queen Elizabeth Stakes and the Prix de l'Arc de Triomphe...
and Nayef
Nayef (horse)
Nayef is a retired Thoroughbred racehorse an active sire, bred in the United States but trained in the United Kingdom during his racing career which ran from 2000 to 2003...
. He was bred at Shadwell Farm, Lexington, Kentucky
Lexington, Kentucky
Lexington is the second-largest city in Kentucky and the 63rd largest in the US. Known as the "Thoroughbred City" and the "Horse Capital of the World", it is located in the heart of Kentucky's Bluegrass region...
and foaled on March 1, 1986.
Nashwan was trained throughout his racing career by Major Dick Hern
Dick Hern
William Richard "Dick" Hern, CVO, was an English Thoroughbred racehorse trainer and winner of sixteen British Classic Races between 1962 and 1995, and was Champion Trainer on four occasions....
at West Ilsley
West Ilsley
West Ilsley is a village and civil parish in Berkshire, England.-Location and amenities:It is situated in the West Berkshire district north of the town of Newbury on the Berkshire Downs. There is also an East Ilsley approximately a mile southeast of the village.West Ilsley has a public house, The...
in Berkshire
Berkshire
Berkshire is a historic county in the South of England. It is also often referred to as the Royal County of Berkshire because of the presence of the royal residence of Windsor Castle in the county; this usage, which dates to the 19th century at least, was recognised by the Queen in 1957, and...
, England
England
England is a country that is part of the United Kingdom. It shares land borders with Scotland to the north and Wales to the west; the Irish Sea is to the north west, the Celtic Sea to the south west, with the North Sea to the east and the English Channel to the south separating it from continental...
, and was ridden in all of his races by the jockey Willie Carson
Willie Carson
William Fisher Hunter Carson, OBE is a retired jockey in thoroughbred horse racing.-Life and career:Best known as "Miserable Willie", Carson was born in Stirling, Scotland. In 1957 he was apprenticed to Captain Gerald Armstrong at his stables at Tupgill, North Yorkshire...
.
Two-year-old season
Nashwan made his debut in a maiden raceMaiden race horse
A Maiden race horse is the term that refers to a race horse that has yet to win a single race. The races are generally run for younger more inexperienced horses at two and three. However, many maidens never "break their maiden", and will continue to race at later ages, often retiring winless.Zippy...
at Newbury
Newbury Racecourse
Newbury Racecourse is a racecourse in the civil parish of Greenham, adjoining the town of Newbury in Berkshire, England. It has courses for flat races and over jumps...
in August 1988, winning as 6/4 favourite in a field of 27 runners. His only subsequent race as a two-year-old was the Autumn Stakes
Autumn Stakes (Great Britain)
The Autumn Stakes is a Group 3 flat horse race in Great Britain which is open to two-year-old thoroughbreds. It is run at on the Rowley Mile course at Newmarket over a distance of 1 mile , and it is scheduled to take place each year in October....
at Ascot
Ascot Racecourse
Ascot Racecourse is a famous English racecourse, located in the small town of Ascot, Berkshire, used for thoroughbred horse racing. It is one of the leading racecourses in the United Kingdom, hosting 9 of the UK's 32 annual Group 1 races...
in October, then classed as a Listed
Conditions races
Conditions races are horse races where the weights carried by the runners are laid down by the conditions attached to the race. Weights are allocated according to; the sex of the runners, with female runners carrying less weight than males; the age of the runners, with younger horses receiving...
race. Nashwan won by four lengths, beating a field which included the debutant Cacoethes.
Three-year-old season
In the spring of 1989, reports of impressive work at home saw Nashwan's odds for Classic Races continually shorten, and when he began his three-year-old campaign in the 2,000 Guineas at NewmarketNewmarket Racecourse
The town of Newmarket, in Suffolk, England, is the headquarters of British horseracing, home to the largest cluster of training yards in the country and many key horse racing organisations. Newmarket Racecourse has two courses - the Rowley Mile Course and the July Course. Both are wide, galloping...
, he started the race as 3/1 favourite. He won by a length, with Exbourne in second and Danehill
Danehill (horse)
Danehill was a Thoroughbred racehorse who was bred in the United States. During his phenomenal stud career Danehill became a champion sire on both sides of the Equator...
a further half length behind in third. Nashwan's next outing was to be the Epsom Derby
1989 Epsom Derby
The 1989 Epsom Derby was a horse race which took place at Epsom Downs on Wednesday June 7, 1989. It was the 210th running of the Derby, and it was won by the pre-race favourite Nashwan...
. The distance of 1½ miles was well beyond anything the colt had previously encountered, but his pedigree suggested the distance would be ideal. With a favourite's starting price of 5/4, confidence was clearly high and Nashwan duly won the race by five lengths, with the 500/1 outsider Terimon
Terimon
Terimon was a British Thoroughbred racehorse and sire. His most successful year was 1991, when he won the International Stakes at York and was named European Champion Older Horse at the inaugural Cartier Racing Awards...
in second, and Cacoethes third. He was the first horse to complete the Guineas-Derby double since Nijinsky II
Nijinsky II
The racehorse Nijinsky was one of the greatest horses in Thoroughbred horse-racing history. He won the U.K. Triple Crown of racing. Retired to stud he became the Leading sire in Great Britain & Ireland and the Leading broodmare sire in North America.He was bred at E. P...
in 1970, though he was emulated by Sea the Stars
Sea the Stars
Sea The Stars is a champion Irish Thoroughbred colt racehorse. Regarded by many as one of the greatest racehorses of all time, he is best known for winning the 2,000 Guineas, the Epsom Derby, the Eclipse Stakes, - the first colt to accomplish this treble since 1989 champion Nashwan - the...
in 2009.
Having conquered his own generation, Nashwan's next task was to prove himself against older opposition, starting with the Eclipse Stakes
Eclipse Stakes
The Eclipse Stakes is a Group 1 flat horse race in Great Britain open to thoroughbreds aged three years or older. It is run at Sandown Park over a distance of 1 mile, 2 furlongs and 7 yards , and it is scheduled to take place each year in early July.-History:The event is named after Eclipse, a...
over 1¼ miles at Sandown Park. This time an odds-on favourite, he again won by five lengths, with the likes of Indian Skimmer
Indian Skimmer (horse)
Indian Skimmer is a United Kingdom Thoroughbred racehorse. Bred by MIT graduate Ronald J. Worswick in partnership with Ashford Stud in Versailles, Kentucky, the gray filly is out of the mare Nobilaire and sired by Storm Bird. Her grandsire was Northern Dancer, the top sire of the 20th Century and...
and Warning behind. The next logical race for Nashwan was the all-aged middle distance showpiece of the summer, the King George VI and Queen Elizabeth Stakes at Ascot. With the late withdrawal of the impressive Prix du Jockey Club
Prix du Jockey Club
The Prix du Jockey Club, sometimes referred to as the French Derby, is a Group 1 flat horse race in France open to three-year-old thoroughbred colts and fillies...
winner Old Vic, Nashwan was expected to win the race easily, and started as 2/9 favourite. But this time Nashwan had to fight for his victory, with old rival Cacoethes challenging him throughout the final two furlongs. Nashwan won by a neck, and was now unbeaten in six races.
After a summer break, Nashwan's next target was to be the Prix de l'Arc de Triomphe
Prix de l'Arc de Triomphe
The Prix de l'Arc de Triomphe is a Group 1 flat horse race in France which is open to thoroughbreds aged three years or older. It is run at Longchamp over a distance of 2,400 metres , and it is scheduled to take place each year, usually on the first Sunday in October.Popularly referred to as the...
at Longchamp
Hippodrome de Longchamp
The Longchamp Racecourse is a 57 hectare horse-racing facility located on the Route des Tribunes in the Bois de Boulogne at Paris, France. Built on the banks of the Seine River, it is used for flat racing and is noted for its variety of interlaced tracks and a famous hill that provides a real...
, and to prepare for this he was sent to the Prix Niel
Prix Niel
The Prix Niel is a Group 2 flat horse race in France which is open to three-year-old thoroughbred colts and fillies. It is run at Longchamp over a distance of 2,400 metres , and it is scheduled to take place each year in September....
. It was to be Nashwan's first defeat, finishing third behind Golden Pheasant
Golden Pheasant (horse)
Golden Pheasant is an American Thoroughbred racehorse who won races in France, England, the United States, and Japan. He was owned by the then owner of the Los Angeles Kings NHL ice hockey team, Bruce McNall, and superstar Hall of Fame player, Wayne Gretzky.Trained by Jonathan Pease, Golden...
on soft ground, and the decision was made to retire Nashwan and not to contest the "Arc".
Progeny
The two most successful racehorses sired by Nashwan are SwainSwain (horse)
Swain is a European Thoroughbred racehorse bred in Ireland. From the mare Love Smitten, he was sired by Nashwan. His grandsire was Blushing Groom, a son of Nasrullah from Nearco. His damsire Key To The Mint, a son of Graustark, was the 1972 U.S...
(b. 1992), dual winner of the King George VI & Queen Elizabeth Diamond Stakes, and Bago
Bago (horse)
Bago was the European Three-Year-Old Champion Thoroughbred race horse in 2004. Bred by the Niarchos family, Bago is best known for winning the 2004 Prix de l'Arc de Triomphe amongst his five Group One successes....
(b. 2001), winner of the Prix de l'Arc de Triomphe.
Nashwan died while at Shadwell Stud on July 19, 2002.
Cultural references
BritishUnited Kingdom
The United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern IrelandIn the United Kingdom and Dependencies, other languages have been officially recognised as legitimate autochthonous languages under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages...
computer game
Computer and video games
A video game is an electronic game that involves human interaction with a user interface to generate visual feedback on a video device. The word video in video game traditionally referred to a raster display device, but following popularization of the term "video game", it now implies any type of...
developer Bitmap Brothers
Bitmap Brothers
The Bitmap Brothers were a UK based video game developer founded in 1987. The company entered the industry in 1988 with the scrolling shooter Xenon. They quickly followed with the classic Speedball...
included references to Nashwan in many of their games. For example, Super Nashwan Power in Xenon 2 Megablast
Xenon 2 Megablast
Xenon 2 Megablast is a computer game originally produced for the Amiga and Atari ST, and later converted to the PC, Sega Master System, Sega Mega Drive, Acorn Archimedes and Game Boy platforms. The sequel to Xenon, it was designed by the Bitmap Brothers...
, Super Nashwan in Speedball 2, and "Nashwan" is used as a password in Gods
Gods (video game)
Gods is a 1991 video game by The Bitmap Brothers where the player is cast as Hercules in his quest to achieve immortality. The game was first made for Amiga and Atari ST computers and then ported for various other platforms...
.